Stop asking me where I want to go to college

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We have all heard it by now; everyone’s favorite question to ask that may be exciting for some, but is terrifying for the vast majority of others. Whether you are a senior or a freshman, being put on the spot about what the future could hold is threatening, to say the least, so please – stop asking me where I want to go to college.

Let’s just start by saying that if you’re in the 1% who has grown up knowing exactly what you want to be or where you want to go and have the grades, ACT score, or money to get you there, this article isn’t going to make much sense to you. For the other 99% of students who are still searching for direction in their lives, I’m talking to you.

For the last nine to twelve years, the district has dictated what classes we should take and when. Although it’s really common for high schoolers to complain about how they don’t get enough of a say in their education or whatever, if I had to completely form my own curriculum as a freshman, I probably would have had a panic attack.

I might only be speaking for myself, but that’s part of the reason why I’m terrified when I think about college. I’m not scared of leaving my family or living alone; college itself isn’t the scary part. Choosing and applying to college is the thing that really freaks me out. There are too many schools to choose from, and committing to one would literally shape the rest of my life. I know that it is possible for me to be happy wherever I go, but before I can get to the happy, I have to push through the stress.

The fact that I’m not a senior yet means that I do have some time to figure stuff out, but it seems like time is passing twice as fast. I swear, last week I was a freshman sitting in Physical Science learning about pulleys, and I kind of wish I could just go back to that.

Again, this might just be true for me, but these last couple of years of high school are testing enough without piling extra essays and monumental choices onto the growing pile of responsibilities. I know that people mean well, but it would be lovely if people would just stop asking where I want to go to college and just accept that I’m still trying to figure it out myself.